How to Get Free Babysitters (With These Guest Room Tips)

'Tis the Season! The season of family and love and visiting. And sometimes that means having a cozy spot for friends and family to stay. If this is the case you want them to feel as welcomed and cozy as if they were in their own bed. How do you do that? I’m so glad you asked. Here are some great guest room tips for making overnight guests feel welcome.

Guest Room Tips: Storage

Yay! The guests have arrived! At the very least, they’ll want a place to dump their stuff.

Let them know if there’s a special spot to store their suitcases or offer to store them yourself.

If possible, having closet space with empty hangers and/or a dresser drawer or two

This’ll go a long way towards making them feel more settled.

Guest Room Tips: Bed and Bedding

Obviously, this is uber important when it comes to overnight guests. It’s safe to say we’re all past our couch surfing days.

Make your guest feel welcome with their own bed or even a pull-out.

I’ve got a day bed that pulls out into a king sized bed.

It takes up nearly no room when there are no guests and doubles as a sofa.

Linens

A nice, fresh set of sheets with no holes or mystery stains is a must.

Keep them separate from the everyday linens if you have to.

Final bedding touches include

A couple pillows (of different fill type and density) and

Cozy throws or blankets if it gets chilly.

It’s better to have access to all these things than to spend a night miserable as a result of not having them. s

Guest Room Tip: Bath Kit

I don’t know about you, but with the TSA rules and just general mama-brain, I often forget key hygiene items when I travel! For just this occasion, have a stash of bathroom necessities ready for them to use as needed.

Include a toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, shampoo and conditioner.... think about what makes you feel luxurious at a hotel.

And maybe grab some freebies the next time you travel with this in mind!

Several sets of towels, washcloths, hand towels are needed as well.

There's nothing quite like a white towel to say luxury

Bonus: super simple upkeep with just bleach!

Like the bed linens, keep them stored away so that they escape everyday wear and tear

Guest Room Tips: Snacks

If your pantry is anything like mine, you have a fine array of cheerios, cheese sticks, juice boxes and Pirate Booty to choose from. And, while this is snacking heaven for children, adults don't get that same tingly feeling about them. With this in mind, make a special treat basket/box/what-have-you with some adult snacks for your guest.

You don’t want to worry about refrigeration, so try fresh fruit like a banana or orange, crackers, cereal bars, nuts…these are all great.

And don’t forget the water! Put a bottle or more of water and a glass for washing it all down.

Put that baby in their bedroom for when they have the munchies at midnight and don’t want to sneak to the kitchen in their jammies

Guest Room Tips: Entertainment

In another bundle:

Put aside some magazines you think they may like.

Or, if you know them well enough, a book you thought they’d particularly enjoy.

No matter what, write down the Wi-Fi password!

I like to buy a 3”x5” frame and frame the password in a cute script.

It’s easier to find and looks fancy on their nightstand.

Let them know what’s special about your home area!

Leave a booklet or brochure on fun things to do

Or perhaps a book on the history of your town if your visitors are history buffs.

I have to admit, all this talking about spoiling guests is making me want to visit MY friends and family. And there's a very good reason for that. I take my hostess inspiration from my mama.

She has the most welcoming set up when we visit. There's always a crossword puzzle book, some local articles she thinks I'll like (Royals, baby!) and the fridge is stocked with my favorites from my younger days.

She's got new activities to try in the area. She ALWAYS kicks my husband and me out for dates or takes the kiddos to an early IHOP breakfast so that we can sleep in. In short, she thinks of everything! And I hope that my guests feel half as welcome as my mom makes her guests feel. Thanks, Mom, for setting such a great example.

All this information? It's pretty great! But I've got a more condensed, guest room checklist all set up for you, too. Click here to get your free guide!s